Metal Belt Buckle

I don't think this is very old, and I'm not sure about the cast metal - possibly lead or pewter? It's fairly heavy and a magnet doesn't stick. It's rustic, but the design is interesting (an animal drinking from a flower?). There are no markings on it and the hinge doesn't move. I'm pretty sure it is a belt buckle, maybe Southwestern/Mexican? Does it look familiar to anyone?

 

Reminds me vaguely of Scythian buckles, although not that old, of course. Could be inspired by old Eastern European-Western Asian designs.

 

I'm reading now about a religious mosaic that had deer drinking from a chalice representing baptism.
More later.

 

Ablution, Initiation, and Baptism: Late Antiquity, Early Judaism, ...
https://books.google.com › books
David Hellholm, Tor Vegge, Øyvind Norderval · 2011 · Religion
... later Gauckler continued Delattre's work. He uncovered more pavement mosaics, depicting deer drinking from streams, baskets of fruit and flowers ...


Don't know about the metal work.
Very interesting piece.

 

Thank you - that's amazing information. I will delve further.

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frankish_-_Belt_Buckle_-_Walters_542343.jpg

After a little googling, I found the original belt buckle which is made of bronze, owned by the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. What I have is a copy of a 7th century Medieval French/Swiss belt buckle. The figure is a Griffin (half eagle, half lion) drinking from a cup - symbolizing the soul refreshing itself as a source of everlasting life. Thanks for the helpful hints. You are an amazing source of knowledge!

 

Wonderful, and great research NewE.
Having lived in a Frankish/Celtic part of the world for most of my life, I could have known. In my defence, Frankish buckles in our area are different, this kind of thing, a cloak buckle: